DIGITAL NATIVES, PERSONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS, AND THE IMPACT ON THE DELIVERY OF HEALTHCARE

5^th International Conference on Medical Informatics & Telemedicine

August 31- 01 September, 2017 | Prague, Czech Republic

Phillip L. Davidson

University of Phoenix, USA

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Health Med Informat

Abstract :

Fifty years ago, medical information was practically all hardcopy â�?�? written on paper --making the transfer of medical information and patient updates tedious and frequently incomplete. In todayâ�?�?s digital world, most healthcare systems have switched (or plan on switching) to digital medical records, which provide real-time updates and greater accuracy. Along with this rapidly changing digital medical information environment, younger generations, such as Gen-Y (Millennials), and Gen Z (Post-Millennials) are quickly finding their place in healthcare. Having grown up without knowledge of the pre-digital age, these healthcare workers learn differently. Referred to as â�?�?Digital Natives,â�? or â�?�?Data Natives,â�? these younger people will shape the future of healthcare delivery. The introduction of Personal Learning Environments in Education was in response to how these younger students learn. With greater skills and knowledge of web 2.0 applications, including social networking and online collaboration, the digital natives work together to accomplish their shared goals. As they enter the healthcare market, Personal Learning Environments are finding its place in the training of healthcare professionals. Not only does this enhance the overall learning of these students, but these digital natives are beginning to learn how to conceptualize and visualize big data and may be able to develop the skills and tools needed to apply this knowledge to the enhanced delivery of healthcare in the real world. Discussion and considerations of supporting Personal Learning Environments in healthcare training are made with the hope of preparing the â�?�?digital immigrantsâ�? for what is coming.